man is not able to resist the fire what will you say of that which Alexander and above fifty other Historians relate happened in their times in Secilia that there was a man called commonly by all the Fish Colax For from his youth he was accustomed to swim in the Sea he proceeded so far therein that the greatest part of his time he lived in the water turned into the nature of a Fish or creature of that Element he would stay five or six houres under water after that whole dayes and by degrees he brought himself to stay eight dayes without comming forth so at last he accustomed himself to live under water the most part of his life which was above eighty years many times he appeared when he came into any ships way at Sea he would go aboard eat and drank what the Marriners gave him sometime he came to land into his own Countrey where he stayed but little because great pains of stomack possessed him if be stayed out of the water The which also Pontano affirms for a truth What more wisdome or divine ingenuity can possesse man to peirce the foure Elements familiarly to make use of them and serve himself of them as of other Creatures except he should soare in the ayre and through it to passe both Soule and Body to Heaven Nay there hath not wanted some who have attempted it For Leonardo Vincio invented the art of Flying and exceeded therein to the admiration of all I need not mention here of a multitude of Vaulters and Juglers who with so much dexterity and boldnesse doe act their parts that especially those which to this day vault upon Cables c. do often cause Kings Princes and Commons to retire themselves from Balcones and Windows and avoid the sight of so desperate horrible fearfull and supernatural actions insomuch that the Actor often remains alone because the people cannot endure to behold the desperate and unfortunate condition to which they exposed themselves For which cause that great Phylosopher Mercurius Trismagistus endeavouring to extol the subtilty of mans ingenuity yet admiring at the divine agility and quicknesse with which it acts declares to his Son these following words What thinkest thou at this or what treasure thinkest thou Hast thou shut up within the members of thy body Command thy soule that it cross the main Ocian and thou shalt perceive how soon it will passe overs nay in a manner before thou canst imagine without changing its place of abode Command it to ascend to Heaven and there thou shalt apprehend it to be in a moment and that without any wings for it hath none yet there is nothing that doth disturbe or impede its flight no not the wide and large tenebrosity of the Ayre can hinder its carreare the burning heat of the Sun the swift motions of the starry heavens and Planets it penetrates all even to the most pure celestial and excellent species of them If thou findest not contentment in this if thou wilt not abide amongst the sphears and heavenly bodies search out and understand what vastnesse there is beyond those heavens we see sure thou mayest easily doe it consider then what the agility of thy soule is hold thy self immortal and believe that thou art able to understand all the Arts and Sciences of the world ascend above the highest Elements descend to the deepest Gulfs think upon and call to minde what passages thou hast met with and what thou hast acted search out the effects of Fire Water Ayre of the drouth and moysture that goes through all parts of the World fix thy self in Heaven on Earth in the Sea in the Ayre and dwell if thou pleasest without the body Sure then by this we may collect that the nature of man is a strange and miraculous thing for although it hath one part of its being mortal decaying and perishable the other and more noble is Immortal derives its original from heaven very well remembers its splendid Country the glorious gifts and graces which it hath received from its Creator and so despiseth all terrenal enjoyments but fighs and grones for those of heaven with an earnest desire to purchase those felicities which it left there for certainly in it self it knows that its Principal Parents Friends and Aliance are there and that naturally is the country where first it received its being The which if it could clearly see with its eye of reason which is a power of the soul that never can or doth part from it more then the light from the Sun and from hence sweetly enjoy without this clod of earth or spoyle of worms Oh what wonderfull things would it act how rare and strange would its designes be but this lump of clay the body weighs it down and hinders which Mercurius calls a Tyranical Prison of the soul for that ever impeds when this would set forth its divine Essence but when it goes forth of this body by contemplation and meditation and freeth it self from the weighty burthen thereof subjecting the vitious appetites of it it no sooner remaines at liberty but receives the Noble influences of Heaven and being purified and cleansed from the filthinesse of these earthly members goes skipping in the Aire from Element to Element holds communication and converse with the Angels and can Penetrate even to the Throne of the most high God Whence being inflamed with a divine fury or Zeal acts here below strange and wonderfull things as Moses relates of himself that after he had parted from men to converse with God and stayed some few dayes his face was so bright and shining that the Children of Israel could not behold him St. Paul was caught up into the third heaven Socrates often being elevated in serious contemplation would earnestly behold the Sun for the space of an houre without motion so that he seemed rather dead then a live Alexander the great being once in exceeding danger of his life surrounded with enemies his Army almost lost and discomfited he fell into such a furious passionate rage that he sweat throughout his whole body drops of blood which appeared to his adversaries as flames of fire that issued from his face and eyes at the which being frighted they began one by one to fly and left him alone without any hurt By which we may clearly discern the power and command that the soul hath over the body's Sepulcher in the which it lyes buried in this life and how many times it freeth it self from the chaines with which it is bound and in spight of the body goes to visite her antient habitation which is heaven leaving in a manner for that time the body as dead the which St. Augustine very well asserts in a Preist of Calamensa that always when he would wrap himself up in contemplation he did it with so much gust delight and so profound a forgetfulnesse of things here below that he remained stretched out upon the ground without any sense
do we finde in this Life For if 〈…〉 do but put our Hand into our Bosome 〈…〉 hall finde that from the day of our Birth to â—â—e day of our Death there is no calamity nor trouble with which we are not afflicted of which we do not taste there is no kinde of misery or affliction with which Man is not acquainted with which he is not some time or other persecuted and afflicted there is no Poverty Cold Heat Whips and Stripes of which man cannot be a Witness in Death understanding it and that before he attains to the perfect light of Reason or indeed have any Tongue to complain or desire favour of which we can understand no other signe or better testimony then the teares sighs and groans he casts forth at his Birth which are as fore-runners and discoverers of the Field of miseries and calamities into which he is come and of which the sorrowful entrance makes him sensible But after he hath passed by an infinite number of evils and attained to the age of seven years what a necessity he hath of Guides and Masters to teach instruct and correct him to look after him and keep him from harms and in growing up more strict and severe Masters are necessary to correct his extravigancies and lead him in the paths of Vertue for Childhood and Youth have need of a Bridle more strong then Iron to withdraw it from all Vices with which it is assaulted and bring it to accustome it self to virtuous actions Thence in few years his face begins to be covered with Hair a Beard adorns his Chin and he comences to right Man with which his cares and troubles doubly encrease and he enters into a Stage where he meets with new afflictions and vexations He must goe forth into publick to seek company and go in Society which is like a Touch-stone to try the purity of his inclination to good or evil If he be descended of a Noble house of a Famous and Illustrious Family or if he be an ordinary Gentleman that he may maintain his Honour and follow the foot-steps of his predecessors and imitate his superiours he must seek out many inventions provide rich and convenient accouterments be hardy in Battle and understand stratagems and policies of War expose himself to a thousand dangers and hazards lay his life at stake upon all occasions spend his blood prodigally and without fear to die with Honour and thereby to obtain a new and immortal fame for himself and his successors and all this he must do if he will not be taken for a cowardly lazie and ignoble person and be disesteemed and despised of all men And if he be a man of a low degree born for a Farmer a Labourer or a Servant he is not for that more free from cares troubles pains and restlesness in body and soul He must labour night and day toiling and sweating even to drops of blood many times that he may procure bread and water If he strive never so much to imploy himself in his Calling yet very often though he labour and travel and do his uttermost endeavour to releive his necessity he cannot attain to what is requisite for him Then not without cause did Marcus Aurelius the seventeenth Roman Emperor considering the condition of Humanity complain who was wont to say Many times have I contemplated within my self if there ever were now or could be found any Estate Degree Condition Land Countrey Kingdome or Age in the which there hath lived a Man that hath not in his life tasted what thing is adverse Fortune that hath not met with Crosses and Afflictions And if there could be discovered such a one I believe he must be some abominable Monster and a strange sight to Mortals and ends his Reason with this saying To be brief I finde that he that yesterday was rich to day becomes poor he that yesterday was in health to day is visited with sickness he that yesterday was in jollity laughing to day I see him weeping he that yesterday was in prosperity and esteem to day I see him despised and in adversity and he that yesterday was alive to day I see him dead and in his Grave But now le ts return to our commenced purpose and le ts search more particularly into things Shew me that man that hath most desired obtained a condition and that more suitable to his wishes and contentments then any other manner of living that hath not at last grown weary despised and complained of his sad hope repented and been sorry that he had spent so much pretious time in proceeding in it To see this more cleerly le ts consider some principal degrees of men in the World beginning with such as saile upon the waters most part of their lives swiming like fishes which are Mariners to how many dangers are they subject night and day what a house do they enjoy what thing is there dwelling but a continual filthy prison what cloaths do they wear but of Cloth like a spunge fit for nothing but to receive filth and water they go like voluntary Vagabons and are in a seeming and perpetual exile they have seldome any repose they are encompassed with blustring Windes on all sides they have but small guard from the Waters Tempests Hailes and Snowes and are subject to Pirates and Robbers to Rocks Shelves Sands and surging Sulkes of the superbious Sea and ever in danger of drowning and being interred in the bellies of Fishes which being seriously considered by that famous Greek Phylosopher Bias who doubted whether such people were to be accounted amongst the Earthly Creatures or those that live on the Water or whether they were to be accounted amongst the living or the dead And another Phylosopher called Anacharsis said That there was not above two or three Fingers betwixt them and Death that is as the planks are in thickness this life appearing so detestable Peradventure thou wilt think to find more quietness in that of a Husbandman and that there is less troubles in a Countrey life thou wilt be apt to question whether a Rustick life be not better and give the answer thy self that it is because it is more easie more quiet sweet and more pleasant especially knowing that most of the Patriarches and Prophets made choice of this manner of living being the most sweetly quiet without prejudice or guile to any the most plain and sincere free from the difficult Catches Traps and Turmoils of Traffick Also many of the ancient Roman Emperors left their Royal commands and employments forsook their Palaces their Capatals Triumphant Arches Amphitheators Pleasures and many other Magnificent Ornaments to withdraw and retire themselves into the Countrey to prune and graft the Trees with their own hands to plant Flowers and sow Seeds in the Gardens as did Dioclesian Attalus Cyrus Beroaldus Constantine one of the Caesars and many others which Columellia and other Historians doe make mention of But those that would attentively
detestable iniquities Is there any thing more usefull and necessary then water in this life for neither men nor beast can passe without it to wave a large discoursing what an Ornament it is to the beautifying the Globe of the Earth and how that it is the most ancient and powerfull Element of all the Four as Isidore and Pliny writs it will undermine and pull down great Hills and Rocks it is predominant in the Earth it quencheth the fire and being exhaled and converted into vapours it pearceth into the Region of the Aire above where it ingenders and multiplieth that it may distill and come down again and causeth the Earth to produce all things yet many times the Earth hath been for mans sake punished with it and often hath tasted the rigour of this Element especially when that great quantity of waters drowned all the earth that there fell from the poares veines of the Heavens such streames for forty dayes which by their inundations prevailed 15. Cubits above the highest Mountaine and destroyed all Creatures except what was preserved in the Arke with good Noah How often hath Egypt been drowned by the inundation of the River Nilus How many thousand men have been devoured and destroyed in the waters How many have been buryed in the Bowels of fishes what greater testimony of the fury of this Element can be desired then that particuler deluge of Greece when the water devoured the Mayor part of Ibesalie in so much that they expected a second general destruction of Mankind according to the threatning rage fury and malice of it what a torment scourge and damage did the Romans find in the year 1530. by reason of the supernaturall overflowing of the River Tiber that covered the highest Towers c. of the City beside the losses of the Bridges Gold Silver Wheat Barly Moveables Furniture rich Hangings of Silke Gold and Silver which it carryed a way and Oyles spoyled and many other things with which were valued at above three Millions and there were drowned above three thousand Persons little and great men and women all destroyed in this imindation and by the force and fury of the waters as all modern Writers do affirme Garpa Contar in his Book of the four Elements writes that Valencia a City of Spain was at the point to be overwhelmed with all the Citizens thereof it 's not many years since and if it had not been succoured by extraordinary meanes and diligence it had been utterly destroyed by the fury of the swelling waters and if we should particularize and cast into reckoning the great losses and damages by extraordinanary Flouds Raines Hailes and Snowes in five or six thousand yeares which is the Worlds age it were never to make an end what thing is there in nature more admirable then Fire by vertue and operation of which all our stately Bankets Feasts and ordinary food is prepared and made savory to our Palats it preserves the life of many Creatures by meanes thereof all mettals are Colinated and made plyable for mans use it overcomes and softens stones c. with which we build Stately Palaces and Houses yet for all these and many other benefits which every hour we receive thereby how many famous Cities do we see destroyed made desolate and consumed to ashes by the furious rage of fire the most ancient testimony that can be produced to this effect is the holy writ which avers how that God Rained Fire and Brimstone from Heaven upon the Cityes of Sodome and Gomorrah The final destruction of the whole Earth we read and do believe shall be by fire and that the fury of this Element shall be the principal executioner of the Eternal Justice of God so the Prophets do declare and the Apostles affirme unto us if I would write and set down here in order the great number of famous Cityes which have been ruinated and destroyed throughout the World by reason of cruel Warres fire and sword as well in our dayes as in former time it would be an exceeding Tragick Story those that are curious and desirous to read and understand such things let them read the twelfe Book of Strabo also Rufino in the Apendix of Eusebus and the Triparty History of Amiano Marcelino and they shall find examples how there hath issued Fire Brimstone and Flames out of the tops of Mountaines the Bowells of the earth have consumed great Cityes with all their people In time of Lucius Marcius and Sextus Julius Consalls there brake forth so great a fire from a Cave betwixt two Mountaines that it burnt up and destroyed many Towns and Villages also with its fury it scortched and choaked the greatest part of the inhabitants thereof I could spend much time to relate the Storyes of very many famous Persons which have felt the fury and been suddenly destroyed by Rayes Thunders and Lightnings as Zoroastes King of the Backtrians Captain in the War of Thebes Ajax after the destruction of Troy the Emperour Anastasius in the 27. year of his Raigne with many other Emperours and Kings and Captains who dyed being smitten and consumed to ashes by the rage and fury of fiâ—y flashing lightning The Aire is a thing so necessary for the conservation of life that there is no Creature can live a moment without it yet often it hapneth to be so pernicious and cruel an enimy to Mankind when it corrupts and taints so that the greatest part of the Pestilences and raging sickness which I have spoken of have proceeded from the putrifaction and corruption of the Aire The Earth which is more affable and kind then all the rest the general Mother of us all for being born it nurses maintains sustaines us and at last receives and wraps us in her Bosome againe as if she were carefull to provide us a bed wherein to repose and take our last sleep in till God shall be pleased to call and set us before his Divine Majesty in that great day of his Judgement yet it is continually producing venomous poysons and unwholsome fruits by means of which our lives are many times cut short and brought to untimely ends how often hath it hapned by Earthquakes many Townâ— Villages and strong Fortifications have been overthrown how often hath she opened her mouth and swallowed up Cities Townes Men and whole heards of Catle so that no appearance or hardly memory hath remained of them but as the Spainyard saith aqui fue Troyo here was a famous City once now Corn fields in the dayes of Mithridates there was an Earthquake so stronge and furious that besides the sinking downfall of many Cities and Townes there were stifled overwhelmed and destroied above a hundred thousand Persons In the Reign of Constantine Son of the Emperor or Constantine the great there were in Asia sunk and swallowed up into the most hidden Bowells of the Earth so many Townes that the Historians could hardly give account of their number in the dayes of Isocrates and
begin to use his tongue To how many infirmities is he subject All other Creatures when they are first brought forth understand somthing of the actions of their nature some do succour themselves with their swiftness others with their strength Only man knows nothing unless he be taught the most certain natural knowledge that possesseth him at his birth is to weep he onely amongst all Creatures is subject to labours troubles passions pleasures delights ambitions courtuousness and indeed to all disorderly appetite of this life he only is born to serve his own concupisence and thereby to suffer extream anguish and sorrow and to be short he is the most subject to entertain emnities and odioms against those of his own kind all other Creatures live at peace with those of their kind the Wolves do no hurt nor do prey upon each other but live in love and amity one with another only man is a capital enemy to man and worse if it could be expressed for sâ—me sign of favor to other Creatures more then to Man but as conceive to do him a more favourable courtesy by his contemplation thereof Dame nature hath provided for them of Houses fit to shelter and protect them from the inclemency of the Heavens and from the vehemencies of frosts snow and storms bestowing upon the greatest of them dennes and caves and to the lesser Houses proper for them which they carry upon their backs as Tortoise the Cockle the Snail c. and to all other small Creatures such accomodation as is most befitting their kind and being Also I cannot be unmindfull of the Fruit Seed of the ground how she hath provided for them cases rindes prickles thorns and huskes in the which to retire defend and preserve their kind but man hath nothing unless he doth procure it by the hard labour of his body and the sweat of his brows nay many times even drops of bloud before he can obtain either to satisfy his hungry appetite or cloath his naked body Now if we do but consider the health and good constitution of body that other Creatures enjoy compared with ours We shall clearly see what advantage they have of us for it doth appear Man is naturally formed and as it were guilded over with a beautifull complexion but it is so weak and subject to such diversity of infirmities that it would be accounted a wonder in the World to find a Man whose beauty is not fading and changing And farther then this Nature hath purcharged Men with such an unsatiable and hungry appetite that we never cease seeking after and desiring the choysest viands to supply our emptiness and if in case we find any thing that seems pleasing to our palate we cannot refrain only to suffice but overcharge nature by devouring so much thereof from which superfluities are ingendred Catarres Flegms Apoplexes and a thousand other diseases Other Creatures do not so for they content themselves with what nature hath provided for them eating it as it is without boyling roasting or otherways dressing it to content their appetite or pleasing their fancies and with this she hath bestowed upon them such a regulated contentment that they eat or drink not more then what is needfull for the maintaining life but Man had he all the fruits of the earth the flesh of all cattle in the World of all the fishes in the Waters of all the fouls of Heaven all would not be sufficient to satisfie his greedy desire in the spoyling consuming and destroying them onely but he must have them masked dressed seasoned and sophisticated brought into several dissimulated gustos meerly to invite and draw his stomack and gluttonous appetite to devour more then nature requires even to the overcharging the ship and causing her to sink under her lading nay they fill their stomacks so brim-full with these pleasing viands that they intoxicate their beste part insomuch that there is not one of their senses but is disabled to do any true service to the bodies use and truely with grief and shame enough I speak it that the superfluous vices of glottony and drunkenness which at this day is so predominant amongst Christians causeth many utterly to loose their shame and to prostrate their bodies to all sorts of vices be they never so execrably wicked even to the committing of Whoredomes Thieveries Murders Poysonings and in toxicating Witch-crafts and I do much wonder how that the entrails of very many are not rotted and their Livers burnt up and putrified with the excess of meats and drinks when behold poor Lazarus lying at the door even perishing with hunger and cannot obtain a morsells of what remains in fragments or procure the least crum that falls from their Tables for which cause the Prophets cal these men Fat Calves Belly-gods c. Certainly they are justly compared to bruit beasts for the soul which is the principal part of man that doth inhabite such bodyes lyeth embalmed as it were with wines sauces and pleasant viands she lyeth as in a dark and obscure Prison drowned and overwhelmed as in a full Sea also the five Senses which should be at her command and serve her as wayting-Gentlemen they cannot attend her being burried as in the entrails of bruit beasts against such gluttons as these who make a God of their bellyes The Prophet expresses a curse saying wo be to thee that rise up early to drink and remain unto the evening till Wine hath inflamed thee This sort of vice for our sins is so rooted so common and made so familiar amongst all Nations that there is none but have a touch thereof and none but are in some measure infected therewith and which is worse and preceeds farther is that it 's counted a glorious Exploit for a Man to exceed in drinking and most Men do account it a fame to be taken for gâ—â—d Tâ—pers The Tarters the Persians and 〈…〉 Greeks held it to be the highest glory to 〈…〉 high they erected triumphant Trophies 〈…〉 those that did excel The Macedonians learned this vice of Alexander their Emperor but the Italians bore away the bell and carryed away the prize from all the rest for emptying the Bowls I could wish England did not excel or strive to excel herein our time Pliny writes that drunkenness in his time did arive to such a height that Men did not content themselves to take turns in their healths each with other but they caused their flocks and heards to drink Wine without measure Paulo Diacano in his History relates a strange story of this monstruous and horrid vice of drunkenness saying there were four old Men agreed to meet together at a Colation in the which they resolved to drink each Man the years of his age and made a challenge two and two in the which every Man was to drink so many times as he had lived years the youngest of them was 58. years of age the second 64. the third 87. and the fourth 92. years old we